Of this there is no debate: Purdue is coming off the worst season in program history. Eleven losses in total, a program record. The defense allowed 456 points, likewise a new low. The offense managed just 179 points, the Boilermakers' worst total during a 12-game season.

Ten losses in a row after a September win against Indiana State, the program's longest losing streak in more than a century. A winless conference season for the second time since 1946. The offense was the weakest among the automatic-qualifying conferences: Purdue averaged 67.1 yards per game on the ground, a total ahead of only run-allergic Washington State.

The Boilermakers' average margin of defeat was 23.1 points; if you remove Notre Dame and Illinois, two single-digit losses, that average falls to 28.7 points. In the season finale, Indiana took a 49-9 lead in the fight for the Old Oaken Bucket before Purdue made things respectable – in this case, respectability in the form of 56-36 defeat.

A better question might ask where last year's version ranks among the worst teams in the history of the Big Ten, a conference formed during the second Cleveland administration. In the last 20 years, at least, Purdue's strongest competition comes from 2003 Illinois – another 11-loss team without a victory against Football Bowl Subdivision competition.

There's no debate because it's undebatable: Purdue has never been so low. The offense never had a clue. The defense never had a prayer. The Boilermakers never had a chance. What's done is done, true, but this sort of ineptitude is hard to forget.

LAST YEAR'S PREDICTION:

About the final standings: Purdue's not a bowl team. There are too many question marks to go with this ridiculous schedule to expect a return to the postseason, with the Boilermakers looking at a very slow start before the schedule lessens in November. Most Big Ten teams have fewer issues. I think Purdue wins four games, perhaps topping out at five, and begins laying the groundwork behind Hazell and this staff.

2013 RECAP:

In a nutshell: Not good. Even in its one win, a 20-14 squeaker against Indiana State, Purdue was outgained, outmuscled and nearly defeated, had Ricardo Allen not picked off the Sycamores' Mike Perish deep inside his own territory with 19 seconds left. The Boilermakers were kind enough to give Illinois its first Big Ten win since Oct. 8, 2011, snapping a 20-game league losing streak. The Hoosiers were just plain mean: IU threw for six touchdowns, had a 100-yard receiver and three 100-yard rushers, and it could've been worse – my lord, it could've been worse. Purdue scored 14 touchdowns in eight games against conference competition; three spanned more than 20 yards, five came in the fourth quarter and one came via a kickoff return.

High point: Not applicable.

Low point: Indiana. Imagine if Purdue's worst nightmare had a nightmare, then go to bed and have a nightmare about Purdue's worst nightmare having a nightmare. You'd start to understand.

Tidbit: Yeah, it's bad. According to Jeff Sagarin's final ratings, Purdue was the 157th best team in the FBS and the Football Championship Subdivision, the worst team on the AQ level and the 14th-worst team in the FBS, ahead of only Air Force, Idaho, New Mexico State, five teams from Conference USA and five teams from the Mid-American Conference. Per Sagarin, Purdue was worse than 44 teams from the FCS.

Offense: The future's good under center: Purdue has corralled three notable options at quarterback, splashing a ray of sunshine on an otherwise dreary, cloud-covered offense. A newcomer, true freshman David Blough, gained late steam on the recruiting trail but stuck with his commitment to Darrell Hazell and the staff; Purdue loves Blough's potential but has the luxury of handing him a redshirt, providing some separation at the position. The starter will be sophomore Danny Etling (1,690 yards and 10 touchdowns), another high-three-star recruit coming off an up-and-down rookie season. Etling's the guy: Purdue moved the sophomore into the lineup last fall knowing that he'd struggle, but was aware that a year of early struggles would yield an improved effort in 2014.

He'll be improved, but let's be cautious with Etling's growth. He'll need to get stronger, for one. His decision-making process needs to speed up a beat, particularly with Big Ten defenses keying in on the Boilermakers' passing game. Etling is working on turnovers, of course, like any young quarterback. Perhaps most of all, Purdue needs to manufacture ways to boost Etling's confidence; remember he spent last season playing behind an open-gate offensive front and alongside an ineffective cast of accompanying skill players. While it's a strange way to think about it, Hazell could help Etling by giving sophomore Austin Appleby a shot at the top job in August – maybe pushing Etling, which could in turn help bolster his confidence. That could also backfire, which goes to show why I don't hold a managerial position. Overall, patience will be required. If all goes according to plan, Purdue has enough options to field strong quarterback play. In the future, that is, and not 2014.

Two JUCO transfers, David Hedelin and Corey Clements, will help Purdue address its troubling tackle situation during fall camp. The expectations were likely made clear during the recruiting process: Hazell needs one or both to assume starting roles, helping the Boilermakers replace a pair of senior starters while pushing some should-be-reserves down a peg on the two-deep. If the pair steps up – and Hedelin could miss at least the first few games due to his participation in a Swedish club league – Purdue can use tackles Jack De Boef and J.J. Prince in reserve. In terms of experienced hands, the Boilermakers return sophomore Jason King at left guard, junior Robert Kugler at center and sophomore Jordon Roos and Cameron Cermin at right guard. The whole deal comes down to the transfers: Purdue will drown if the pair can't grab hold of the edges during fall camp. Sadly, the Boilermakers' line is a weakness even if Hedelin and Clements deliver.

If given time to operate, room to breathe and the advantage of an actual running game, Purdue's passing attack could surprise a few teams in the Big Ten. One reason for optimism is Etling, even if he's a work in progress. Another is a receiver corps high on returning talent, growing experience and increased depth, and at tight end in particular. It's a nice group: Purdue has senior Justin Sinz (41 receptions for 340 yards), gets a healthy Gabe Holmes and will transition Dolapo Macarthy from wide receiver, giving the position a purely pass-catching option. At receiver, the staff has very high hopes for sophomore DeAngelo Yancey (32 for 545), the team's leading receiver, and will land adequate production from the tandem of sophomore Cameron Posey (26 for 297) and junior Danny Anthrop (17 for 313). Beyond this top trio, Purdue has Dan Monteroso and B.J. Knauf. Here, at least, Purdue has surrounded its quarterback with the weapons he needs to succeed.

Defense: Take a deep breath, close your eyes and imagine last year's defense without Ricardo Allen. Now go to your happy place. Looking ahead to 2014, the Boilermakers aim for improvement without the only defender worth his salt a season ago – yes, that'd be Allen, who made six interceptions and came to play weekly, even if his buddies didn't. Any shot at a substantial step forward entails so many hypotheticals it'd be foolish to list them all. Instead, here are just a few: Ryan Russell would have to fulfill his full potential, Frankie Williams would need to play at an all-conference level, Langston Newton would need to make an immediate impact and Sean Robinson would have to play like a four-year starter. Are your fingers crossed? They should be.

Defensive end Ryan Russell (99) shows flashes of dominance, but Purdue needs it on a more consistent basis.(Photo: Jeff Hanisch, USA TODAY Sports)

Russell's tough to figure out. He's all there physically: Russell has the blend of size, speed and athleticism to be a menace, stepping right into the program's long line of successful products at defensive end. But the Russell you see on one play is never the Russell you see for an entire series; he's hot and cold, basically, and Purdue needs a torrid season from the senior to slow down Big Ten quarterbacks.

To alter last season's course, Purdue's front must get a banner season from Russell, significant production from senior Jalani Phillips and steadiness from nose tackles Ra'Zahn Howard and Ryan Watson. But the key will be depth, so keep tabs on Kentucky transfer Newton – he's got promise – sophomore ends Evan Panfil and Jake Replogle, incoming four-star end Gelen Robinson and junior tackles Chuck Ayres and Michael Rouse III. All hands on deck, please.

Russell should dabble in a hybrid end-linebacker role, giving this defense some explosiveness on the second level, but the Boilermakers' linebacker play hinges on two key factors in particular: one, whether the defense can rely on seniors Joe Gilliam (31 tackles) and Sean Robinson (45 tackles), and two, if the impressive young group of likely contributors are ready ahead of schedule. Gilliam will take over on a full-time basis for Will Lucas, last year's leading tackler. Robinson, meanwhile, is a converted quarterback who has taken well to the new position.

But the story might be the play of redshirt freshmen Danny Ezechukwu, Johnny Thompson and Dezwan Polk-Campbell – the latter back after auditioning at safety – and true freshman Ja'Whuan Bentley. Robinson and Gilliam might end up being steady, but Purdue needs this sort of influx of talent.

The secondary's going to miss Allen. The new stopper is cornerback Frankie Williams (61 tackles), a junior entering his third season in the starting lineup. His play could tell a bigger story: Williams needs to step up every Saturday or Purdue's pass defense as a whole will struggle through another down season. On the opposite side, the focus has stayed on sophomore Leroy Clark and senior Antoine Lewis, as expected. One thing the Boilermakers do have is depth at safety. In addition to senior Taylor Richards (64 tackles) and junior Anthony Brown (69 tackles), Purdue returns senior Landon Feitcher, a starter prior to last season's leg injury. Another four defensive backs join the mix before August, adding a few reserves to the secondary's depth.

Special teams: In my mind, last year's MVP was senior punter Cody Webster. He's gone, sadly. While the Boilermakers return junior kicker Paul Griggs and kickoff specialist Thomas Meadows, Webster's backup in 2013, you have to think Hazell will give incoming freshman Austin McGehee a long look at both spots. The return game was pretty good last fall, actually, though tempered by an inability to cover kickoffs. Hazell has mentioned how the young defensive backs could lend a hand immediately in coverage.

POSITION(S) TO WATCH:

Running back: The nation's most ineffective backfield – Purdue tried to run; Washington State was indifferent – returns intact. This is a positive, statistics be damned: Purdue brings back a group of backs familiar with this season, a clear plus, and this continuity could lead to an increase in production. Before dreaming big, however, Purdue must identify a lead back and solidify an unsettled rotation. The starting job is down to a pair, seniors Akeem Hunt (464 yards) and Raheem Mostert, with Mostert the more impressive of the two during spring drills. Most of all, Mostert would give Purdue's the big-play threat missing a season ago – he's a speedster, one of the Big Ten's best in track, and could theoretically lend a sense of danger to this offense. Another factor in Mostert's corner is unfamiliarity, in a sense: Hunt controlled the reins last fall but was far from impressive, so Purdue could lean toward Mostert merely for the change in cast. The Boilermakers also have redshirt freshman Keyante Green, sophomore Dalyn Dawkins and senior Brandon Cottom (152 yards), the latter a big back who should carve out some role, but the running game will roll through the two seniors.

GAME(S) TO WATCH:

Western Michigan: If Purdue can't beat Western Michigan in the opener … Look: There are others ways to spend a fall Saturday. In a perfect world, the Boilermakers go 3-1 in non-conference play and develop some momentum for a Big Ten slate that includes a road trip to Nebraska and home games against Iowa, Michigan State and Wisconsin. Not that it matters – because this team isn't doing anything either way – but Purdue does avoid Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State from the East Division.

SEASON BREAKDOWN & PREDICTION:

In a nutshell: Consider the Big Ten displayed on a spectrum, with Purdue on one end and Ohio State – or Michigan State, depending on how you view the preseason race – on the other. On this spectrum, Purdue is a first down away from Rutgers, a long pass from Indiana, a football field from Wisconsin or Nebraska and a few miles from the Buckeyes or Spartans. It's funny only in Bloomington: Purdue has completely disappeared from the conference map like Houdini, falling faster than an anvil, and is so flimsy when compared to its peers it's impossible to view the Boilermakers as anything but an easy mark for the rest of the Big Ten – and say what you will about Purdue, but this program has never, ever been an easy mark. These are unhappy times.

I don't see how either side of the ball matches up. The offense wants to run some Frankenstein-like amalgam of the spread and a power rushing attack; needless to say, it's not working. Etling is promising, but asking this sophomore to carry the attack is – at this point, at least – a bad idea. The offensive line is a weak link and the backfield currently devoid of an answer. On defense, the Boilermakers must land all-conference seasons from Russell and Williams to survive. Possible? Yeah, but not likely. All the impressive talent I see on this roster comes in underclassmen, which might be a good sign for tomorrow but is a negative for today.

It's going to be an ugly year. The one positive is this schedule; Purdue will benefit from the new divisional split, as will the rest of the West, and has the luxury of a smooth out-of-conference docket, outside of Notre Dame. Given this slate, I don't see why Purdue can't add another win or two to last year's total, with most coming in September. And what about league play? Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin are simply too physical. Indiana and Illinois come on the road. Northwestern? Forget wins and losses, if you can: Purdue and Hazell just need to make sure the hole doesn't get deeper. Purdue's up to its waist in messiness but can dig its way out with some hard work. If the Boilermakers get neck deep, however, you're looking at real trouble. And you thought Purdue wasn't in trouble already.

Dream season: Purdue goes 3-1 in non-conference play and knocks off Iowa, Illinois and Indiana to reach the postseason.

Nightmare season: No wins.

UP NEXT:

Who's No. 107? In its history, this program has two wins against fellow FBS competition in month of August.